Shari

Could you please tell me when the best time to see whales is? From where? Also, can anyone recommedn a travel agent? I usually don't use them, but I am getting overwhelmed trying to plan this trip with all of the inter-island flights.

Any other suggestions for a first timer who wants luxury and has about a couple of weeks to enjoy?

hmmm

Whales-December through March, though some early birds and stragglers. Maui, Kauai are best islands.

cherylm

Okay, I am NOT a travel agent. But I can tell you that I usually plan all of my trips myself on the internet and almost never use a travel agent. I am leaving for Maui on the 13th and I found a travel agent that had prices much lower than I could find on any of my internet sources (better rates on both lodging and air). The name is All Globe Travel, I think they are based out of LA. Patti was the rep that helped me. They are at www.allglobetravel.com.

olivia

We just left Maui and saw many whales right in front of our boat going to the crater Molokini. This was on Monday. Whales were everywhere, but I think after March that's about it.

mlc

Shari, we just returned two weeks ago from Maui. Whales were everywhere, which was quite a thrill for us! That's the main reason we went in February, even though that's a busy time. For trips I normally research and book everything myself over the internet, but for this trip,we went through a travel agent (Doug Fox) and don't regret it for a second. Like you, I felt a little overwhlemed with the number of condo choices, etc. It was nice to talk over the choices with a professional who had been there, and she matched our tastes perfectly. We made the reservations last fall when the published RT airfare from Seattle was quite high, but she got us a low fare because she went through Classic Customs Vacation for our airfare, car and hotel (we stayed at the Embassy Resort near Kaanapali). We upgraded to a Mustang Convertible (which I highly recommend) for a good price, and the travel agency even reduced the total package price by a few hundred dollars several months later when prices started dropping a little.

One real nice touch going through the travel agent/Classic Custom Vacations was that the Hertz shuttle bus from the airport dropped us off right at our car (instead of the rental car office where everyone else had to go. The have some deal with the tour operator so that a hertz agent was waiting for us at our car and had our car running and ready to go (instead of having to stand in line with everyone else) - a nice touch! There was a separate express line inside Hertz for customers of this tour operator in case we needed anything. We also got a card from CCV with a special Customer ID # to be able to quickly reference in case anything went wrong (nothing did). Lastly, the day after we arrived, the travel agent had delivered to our room a special welcome package containing Hawaiian flowers, food, etc. Again, a nice touch, and we didn't pay much more than if I had done everything myself. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

pspercy

We went to Maui in the middle of last May and there were still a few whales around, got some good photos. We took a boat out of Maalea (Pacific Whale Foundation, they have a web site with sighting reports etc).
Can't recommend a TA as I do my own trips. Depending where you live, you might try your local predominant airline's vac package programs to get an idea, for example www.aavacations.com
or maybe try American Express if you have their card. Have a great trip.

jor

This has got to be a travel agent troll from allglobetravel who promotes Hawaii packages

What about the whales in S.E. Alaska?

cherylm

"Troll" or not, All Globe Travel got me the best rates for my Maui trip!

Mauigirl

I usually plan my own trips, but a couple of years ago, I had to change my plans at the last minute from the following March to just after Christmas, which was about 2 months away. I had a hard time getting what I wanted & Patti @All Globe helped me get exactly what I wanted - at a discount!! I still plan my own trips, but would recommend Patti to anyone, if you don't want to plan yourself.

pspercy

jor,
OT but saw Orcas in Prince William Sound in a mid Sept timeframe a few years ago, in fact it was right before last trip of the season on Klondike Express catamaran out of Whittier (had to take the train from Portage then). Will never forget it, wind chill was sufficient for my old camera to quit until it warmed up again !